1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lumber industry apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a push and pull-through delimber device for use in stripping tree trunks of limbs during tree harvesting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tree delimbers have been useful devices for the logging industry due to the extensive labor involved in hand chopping limbs from the felled tree trunk. Earlier devices are designed for a single tree, often a large tree such as might exist in a virgin forest. With the advent of tree farms for evergreens such as pine, it is common to harvest a large number of trees of similar size. These trees are not allowed to grow to great size, but only the size desired. In the case of trees grown to be fed to chippers to produce laminated structural members, the most efficient size for length of growing time is selected for harvesting the trees. It has become desirable to provide delimbers which can delimb a number of relatively small diameter tree trunks simultaneously. These trunks are relatively, consistent in size, since they have had the same growing period and conditions, which makes it possible to create an efficient multi-tree delimber and use it successfully. Such delimbers typically employ a knuckle boom crane which grasps a number of felled trees by their lower trunk and pushes or pulls them through a frame having multiple openings. Previous delimbers of this type are large and heavy, making them expensive and difficult to move between foresting locations. It would be desirable to provide an effective delimber for this type of service which is relatively light, may be easily moved such as by means of built in skids, and is effective in accomplishing the delimbing job with minimum labor and equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,317, issued Dec. 5, 2000 to Seymour, describes a mechanical pull-through tree limb remover having opposed, semicircular blades. These blades are closed by counterweights and opened by the operation of a lever that is coupled with the cutting blades. The pull-through force is provided by a grapple loader or other lifting device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,367, issued Jan. 10, 1978 to Adamson, describes a tree limb remover constructed of an upright welded metal pipe frame. This frame has square openings that allow trees to be pushed through, snapping off any attached limbs and branches.
U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2002/00628880 and 2002/0062877 A1, each published May 30, 2002, describe trailer mounted push-through tree limb removers. The respective tree limb removers have frames with cutting blades, chutes and saws that allow trees to be topped and de-limbed in one operation. The pull-through forces to operate these devices are supplied by knuckle boom loaders and process a number of trees simultaneously as grasped by the knuckle boom.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a tree delimber solving the aforementioned
problems is desired.
The tree delimber is a felled tree delimbing system which is skid mounted, having a steel, horizontal chute with vertical cutting bars at one end where an overhead locking and cutting arm or blade cooperates with the cutting bars. The operator engages the device by placing a bundle of cut trees horizontally on the chute, the tree""s weight forcing down a trigger, causing the counter-weighted cutting arm to close over the trees forcing them into rectangular openings formed thereby. The bundle of trees is in the grasp of a logger""s knuckle boom crane or similar piece of equipment at the lower portion of the tree trunks. The trees are then pulled along the chute through the edged rectangles, thus shearing off and removing limbs and branches from the upper part of the tree trunks. Remaining limbs and branches are removed by pulling the trees back through the rectangles. Upon the operators causing the knuckle boom to lift the delimbed tree trunks from the chute, the unweighted trigger is released, allowing the cutting arm to return to an open position through action of pulleys and a counter weight. The tree trunks can then be topped as desired with a logger""s saw.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a tree delimber which is light in weight and easily portable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tree delimber which is designed to delimb a number of relatively small trees at one time.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a tree delimber which is mounted on skids for easy transport.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a tree delimber having a tree weight trigger and a counterweighted, vertically swinging upper blade swinging in a vertical arc between a vertical open position to allow easy access to the delimber and a horizontal closed position for effective delimbing.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for, the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.